{{etymology|From Middle English ''musik'', from Anglo-French ''musike'', from [[Latin]] ''musica'', from [[Greek]] μουσικη ''mousike''}}
{{etymology|From Middle English ''musik'', from Anglo-French ''musike'', from [[Latin]] ''musica'', from [[Greek]] μουσικη ''mousike''}}
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[[Music]] as an [[art]], is a form consisting entirely of organized [[sound]] interspersed with periods of silence.<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?sourceid=Mozilla-search&va=Music Music] defined in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.</ref> It takes its name from three [[Greek mythology|Greek]] goddesses known as the ''[[Muses]]'', who specialized in stimulation of an artist's or poet's mind.
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[[Music]] as an [[art]], is a form consisting entirely of organized [[sound]] interspersed with periods of silence.<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?sourceid=Mozilla-search&va=Music Music] defined in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.</ref> It takes its name from nine [[Greek mythology|Greek]] goddesses known as the ''[[Muses]]'', who specialized in stimulation of an artist's or poet's mind.
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Music is known for its ability to stir human emotion, and its effects on the human brain are believed to be more profound than those produced by other art forms. <ref>Oliver Sacks, ''Musicophilia''</ref>. This ability of music to affect one's mental state has allowed it to be used as a form of therapy for patients with mental illnesses such as [[schizophrenia]]. Music is also considered to be humankind's oldest art form, and is common to all known human cultures.
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Music is known for its ability to stir human emotion, and its effects on the human brain are believed to be more profound than those produced by other art forms. <ref>Oliver Sacks, ''Musicophilia''</ref>. This ability of music to affect one's mental state has allowed it to be used as a form of therapy for patients with mental illnesses such as [[schizophrenia]]. Music is also considered to be humankind's oldest art form, and is common to almost all known human cultures.